


Hot Hot Heat

by Bether



Category: NCIS
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, Drabble, Gen, Humor, Not Beta Read, One Shot, POV Third Person, Present Tense, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-07
Updated: 2010-09-07
Packaged: 2017-10-11 13:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bether/pseuds/Bether
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The air condition fails (again). Naturally this occurs on the hottest day of the year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hot Hot Heat

**Author's Note:**

> Set sometime after Season 2 (it really doesn't matter when). For Kelly who selected the prompt hot and asked that it include Gibbs in some form.  
> **Addendum:** [12/2011] changed from past to present tense, edited a bit of word choice; story features remain unchanged.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** Characters mentioned are used without permission and are trademarks of CBS/DPB; I am simply borrowing them for my purposes. Please don't sue.

It is, of course, the hottest day of the summer when the air conditioning at NCIS decides to fail. (Actually, it's a full blown brownout, complete with dimmed lights and the shutdown of all nonessential systems in order to keep MTAC and autopsy running on full. Naturally the air conditioning is considered nonessential by the sadists who decide such things.)

McGee's eyes widen as the room and his computer screens darken. "No, no, no!" He begins searching through his electronics as if there might actually be some other, _fixable_ reason behind the shutdown. "Tell me this isn't happening again."

Ziva's brow furrows. "Again?"

Waving her off, Tony picks up his phone. "Before your time." He scowls and slaps it back into the cradle harder than is strictly necessary. (Not that it matters; it's dead, too.) "Looks like it is, McSweaty."

McGee groans, dropping his head into his hands. Already the insufferable humidity is edging into the building. Sweat stains are imminent for the unlucky suit-wearing agents.

Ziva's gaze bounces between the two men, a smile playing on her lips. "It is just a bit of heat."

"Says the woman from a _desert_ country," Tony retorts. "You probably _like_ this weather."

She shrugs but the smirk she tries to hide is as good as a confirmation.

Gibbs chooses that moment to waltz in, carrying his usual cup of coffee with him. His gaze sweeps over the agents and he pauses. "Something the matter?"

Tony and McGee exchange a glance, the former speaking only when the silence begins to stretch into uncomfortable territory. "The air conditioning's off, Boss."

Raising his brows, he takes a sip from his cup. (Somehow he makes this a pointed gesture.)

"What Tony means," McGee picks up the conversation thread, "is that all nonessential systems are on low power or shut down due to a brownout. No computers or phones available, minimal lights and Abby is probably stuck running one machine at a time down in the lab."

Gibbs crosses his arms. "So what were you doing before I arrived?"

Now all three agents look at each other. "Working on case reports," Ziva offers when neither man pipes up.

He gives his team his patented, "And you aren't doing that now because?" Look.

"But, Boss…" McGee's tone is hesitant and filled with dread, "the computers…"

Plucking a pencil from his desk, Gibbs hands it to McGee. "Here, use mine."

McGee's acceptance is reluctant. "Uh, thanks." He sounds more downtrodden than grateful at the prospect of writing reports longhand.

There is something of a smirk on Gibbs face as he sits down his desk. It's been a long time since he's seen agents handling paperwork the old-fashioned way. He has to admit, he doesn't hate it.


End file.
